Hello, dear readers, I am not dead!

I have just been swamped with writer's block and endless amounts of homework and before-break projects for the past month or so, so I have had almost no time to do much of anything that didn't cause me stress. So I took a breather whenever I could and... I didn't write and instead derped around on Tumblr during my free time with the document open. Productive process, right?

Anyway, this chapter's one that's longer than usual so I hope that'll convince you guys to forgive me for my incompetence as a writer and not hate me for leaving this fic abandoned abruptly for a month...

So, enjoy the chapter~!

So, it had been a solid two weeks since Jack first saw Hiccup's brother and he swore that he was still shaking from the look that guy gave him. Those pale blue eyes were suddenly as deep and dark as an underwater abyss; one filled with hungry sharks, at that. It was pretty clear just from his expression that spending time with Hiccup from then on would be a little bit trickier… to say the least.

God, all he wanted to do was talk to the pretty girl he met at work. Now her monster-sized brother's gonna be breathing down his neck whenever he's around. Great… just great…

"Hey, Frostbite!" Jack was pulled out of his thoughts by his friend's call "Don't leg behind or coach'll be up your ass about it." Jack glanced across the track and saw their PE teacher Savage closely monitoring his students. When the man's eyes landed on the trio, Jack sped up his pace until he was running alongside his classmates again "Better keep up, mate."

Jack looked to his left and gave a smirk to Eli, a class friend of his with green eyes and dark gray hair pulled back in a ponytail, as he ran down the track "You know," he panted "you're usually way ahead of us. Why are you lagging behind this time?"

"I wanna know how it's going with that sheila of yours, uh… Hiccup?"

Jack's pace faltered for a second before he picked it back up "How do you know about that?"

Eli cocked his head "North told me last week."

Jack glared at the taller teen on his opposite side "What?" North innocently asked "He wanted to know why you don't complain about work anymore."

"And I heard Jamie and Monty talkin' about it too." Eli claimed.

Jack groaned "Alright, I get it. What do you wanna know?"

"When you're gonna make your move, Frostbite."

Jack blinked "Huh? Wha-"

"Pick up the pace there, Overland!" Savage shouted "I've seen kids do better with a broken leg!"

As they passed the coach, Jack sped up and slowed back to his original pace once he was out of Savage's sight "What are you talking about?" He asked again.

"When you will take 'iccup on a date." North interjected.

"I don't know..." Jack grumbled.

"Whaddaya mean you don't know?" Eli questioned.

"What part didn't you get?"

"She's not gonna wait around forever, ya know." The Aussie prodded.

"Eli is right." North added "Girl like 'iccup could be gone like that." He swiped a hand in front of himself.

"You better do somethin' before some other guy swoops in and gets her." Eli stated "Trust me; you'll be kicking yourself if that happens. I know how that feels."

"Please don't bring my sister into this." Jack complained "Besides, she's not seeing anyone right now; she broke up with that guy months ago."

"Point still stands."

"Okay, Bunny, explain how I should do this then."

Eli glared at the white-haired boy for a minute, clearly unhappy about that stupid nickname being brought into the conversation "Shouldn't that be a decision you make yourself?"

"I've never asked a girl out before; maybe gimme some pointers, ladies' man!"

"You'll do fine, long as you don't get cold feet."

"Very funny."

Jack had heard North muttering to himself during the argument but thought nothing of it until the taller teen shouted "Idea!" just after they passed Savage another time. Both heads turned to him as he smiled wide "Jack, she helped you study for history, yes?" Jack nodded "Ombric has that test coming up soon. Perhaps you could ask her to help you study?"

"That's actually a good idea, North."

"Yeah, I gotta hand that one to ya, mate." Eli added.

"I try." The dark-haired boy said oh-so-modestly.

"Just keep us posted." Eli ordered "Got it, Frostbite?"

Jack chuckled "Got it, Bunny."

Jack came into work that day more than anxious. All he wanted was for Hiccup to come through that door so that he could talk to her about studying together… but he was also dreading it. What if she said no, or what if she had her friends with her? God, how would he even follow up if she said no?

"Trouble concentrating, Jack?" He came out of his daze to find Querty beside him.

The teen sighed "No, just thinking."

The old man put down his pile of books on the counter "Something bothering you?" Jack shrugged in response "Is this about that girl you're always talking to?"

Jack hung his head and nodded before looking back at his co-worker "Yeah."

Querty looked like he was going to answer him until they both heard the door open and a familiar head of brunette hair trotted inside "Maybe now you can figure it out." Was all he said before he grabbed his books again and disappeared among the shelves.

Hiccup walked up to the desk and greeted him, like always "Hi, Jack." As she smiled, Jack noticed her cheeks were rosy, probably from the chilly air that was beginning to settle outside for the winter. It hid her freckles slightly and made her eyes look brighter than normal too. Jack found himself smiling at the sight; God why'd she have to be so cute?!

"Oh, hey, Hiccup." He lazily waved as she stopped in front of him and pulled her scarf tighter around her neck "Winter's on its way, huh?"

"Yeah." She replied "Jack Frost's coming; that's for sure."

"You know about him too?" Jack asked with surprise.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Hiccup remarked.

"Just… almost no one seems to talk about him and he's one of my favorite myths of all time."

"Right?" Hiccup agreed "You'd think more people would be into an ice-wielding spirit who exists in so many cultures."

"I know; he deserves so much more publicity than he gets." Jack continued "Winter's my favorite season; I've gotta love him for bringing it to me every year."

The brunette giggled "You're really into mythology, huh?"

"Love it." The older teen claimed "It's so cool to learn about; all of the stories and how they change everywhere they go in the world. I mean, Jack's a chick in some cultures. That's how diverse it is." Hiccup nodded intently and adjusted the strap of her backpack on her shoulder "Oh, I almost forgot. Can I ask you something?"

Hiccup's eyes widened a bit and brought her full focus back to him "Sure, what's up?"

"Well, I was wondering…" He started tapping his fingers on the desk anxiously "Ya' know, since you helped me before… if maybe you could meet up with me here and help me study for a test in history?"

Green meadows darted to the floor and she chewed her bottom lip while she thought the proposal over "Um… what day do you have in mind?"

Jack thought over his schedule quickly before answering "Friday, after school. We could meet here, if that's easier."

Hiccup diverted her gaze again and she sighed "Sorry… I can't Friday."

"What do you mean you can't?" Jack asked, wide-eyed.

Hiccup shifted on her feet in front of him, still trying to avoid eye contact "I won't have a ride home, so… I can't." She claimed.

Jack sighed under his breath. God, the one day he had open this week and she couldn't make it. How about those odds? Ugh…

Hiccup finally perked her head up after a moment and she looked back at Jack "Oh, um, Scott's dropping me off at home right after school gets out. Then he's going to some training for football or something… you can come over and I'll help you."

"Uh…" Jack pondered "Yeah, sure, that'll work. … You're sure your brother won't be around…?"

"Yeah." The brunette clarified with a smirk "Why? Are you scared of him?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed.

Hiccup started to laugh "I promise; he won't do anything to hurt you."

"Okay." Jack agreed "Then it's a date."

Once Scott dropped her off at the house on Friday, Hiccup spent the next half hour doing some of her own homework before Jack showed up. And about twenty math problems later the clock on her desk read 3:45. Oh man, She bit her bottom lip he's gonna be here soon.

Hiccup left her other books and brought her history book and notes downstairs with her. And only when she made her way into the living room did she realize how much of a mess it was… again. Scott invited Derek and the twins over to watch another football game the night before. And guess who was too lazy to clean up the mess he made? Yep, Scott. The coffee table was covered in half-empty soda cans and candy wrappers, some were even scattered on the floor, and the couch was just a mess all-together. It basically looked like a few kids tried to build a fort out of the cushions, gave up, and threw the cushions back to their original places.

The brunette sighed as she started to clean it up herself, making an internal note to get back at her brother for this later. At least it didn't take too long to get the room back into a presentable state. But even as she looked over the tidied space, Hiccup didn't think that it was, well, enough. Like there had to be some little things added on before she let her study partner into the house. So, she spent the next five or ten minutes setting up her books on the coffee table, even bothering to open up to the chapter about the Cold War, and leaving paper and pens next to them.

Alright. Now it looked like they were actually going to study.

She was about to grab a bag of chips before she heard the doorbell ring and Toothless running down the hall and barking in response. The Great Dane barreled past her and stopped when he nearly slammed his face into the front door, making the whole house shake with his barking.

"Okay bud, I know." Hiccup soothed as she approached the dog "Someone's here, I got it." She grabbed his collar and held it tightly "Toothless, stay here."

She opened the door and saw Jack standing there with his backpack and a smile, which faded quickly once Toothless started to bark again and tried to free himself from his master's grip. Jack jumped back at the sight of the canine.

"He won't hurt you." Hiccup stated "He just doesn't know you." She wrestled the giant dog back inside the house and kept him back by holding out an arm and a leg in his way "Come in."

Cautiously, the older teen stepped through the threshold. His eyes never left the dog behind Hiccup and, once the door was closed behind him, a small wave of fear came over him as Toothless ran through Hiccup's barrier. The dog barked and growled for a moment as Jack tensed. Then, both started to relax as Toothless' giant nose inspected the boy's pant legs, hands, and shirt.

"See?" Hiccup confirmed "He just needs to check you out; make sure you won't hurt me."

Jack chuckled as he gently patted Toothless on the head "Like I would do that, anyway."

Hiccup smiled "He doesn't know that." She turned and started for the kitchen "I'm gonna grab a snack; you can sit on the couch, if you want."

Toothless' footsteps followed her down the corridor. As she knelt down and looked in the cabinet for the chips, the dog stuck his nose inside and started to sniff around.

"Get out of here, Toothless." Hiccup laughed "Nothing for you."

She grabbed the chips and found Jack in the living room admiring the photos hanging on the wall around the TV and mantle. She seemed to catch him by surprise when she walked in, blue eyes widening as if he'd been caught doing something wrong. "Sorry, I was just…"

Hiccup shrugged it off "It's fine."

Jack looked back at the pictures "How old were you when this was taken?"

She walked to his side and looked at the familiar photo of her and Scott on the wall "I was four and Scott just turned seven. That was the first time I remember going to the beach. My dad's friend Oswald had a condo there at the time and we'd meet him and his family up there for vacations every summer.

"Not anymore?"

"No." Hiccup confirmed "He sold it a few years ago."

Jack scanned over the photos again, all of them showing the Haddock siblings growing up to the present day, and smiled at the picture of the day they got Toothless about a year ago.

"Who would've thought he'd grow into such a giant, huh?" Hiccup commented.

"Yeah."

Silence settled over them and Hiccup found herself awkwardly scratching the back of her neck "So, uh…" She muttered "wanna get to the studying now or…?"

"Oh, yeah." Jack answered.

The pair settled themselves on the couch and Jack started to flip open his own books. After that, the two had a decent conversation going about what Jack would have to know for his upcoming test and all of the important events of the age. It was mostly Hiccup explaining the basics of what Jack dished out to her, but the discussion flowed much better than the awkward display about the pictures on the wall. As long as she knew what she was talking about, the brunette didn't have a problem talking about it. But still, sometimes the older teen's expression or tone of voice would make her falter slightly. Occasionally, she'd notice the white-haired boy watching her intently, his features soft and relaxed as if he could listen to her forever. Or he'd ask a question in this weird, almost whispered tone. Whenever she did acknowledge the actions, her speech would slow a little and her hand movements would become less frequent for a moment before she picked them back up and carried on with her speech.

The afternoon carried on as such until Hiccup heard the garage opening outside and the slam of a car door.

Jack noticed she was looking around "Something wrong?"

"Uh…" Hiccup stuttered "No; just thought I heard something."

The door from the garage to the kitchen opened and shut a minute later "I'm home, sis!" Oh gods; Scott wasn't supposed to be this early! Hiccup looked to Jack and saw his eyes widening in fear. She gave him an apologetic smile and he looked her way with an expression that said 'you lied to me.'

"Hey, bro." Hiccup nervously called back "I thought you were still at practice or… whatever it is you were doing."

"Yeah, but class- uh, practice was called short today." Her brother responded; his voice and footsteps coming closer "Where are you, anyway?"

"Uh…" Hiccup looked from the doorways to Jack "in the living room."

Scott came into view a moment later and his eyes locked onto Jack "You didn't tell me you were having company today."

"I didn't think you'd be home." She defended "So I thought it wouldn't matter." Scott nodded "Jack just wanted some help studying for a test."

"Uh huh…" The older sibling mumbled "Well, I have some stuff to do so… I'll be around." He turned to walk away, and then looked back "Don't so anything stupid."

Hiccup sighed "Really, Snot Face?" She heard Jack chuckle at the nickname.

"Just saying." Scott held his arms up and backed away "I don't wanna have to pick up a mess or hide a body or anything today."

The brunette rolled her eyes and turned back to Jack, who was watching the doorway until Scott fell out of his sight "Don't worry about him." She explained "He won't do anything if there's witnesses around." The comment didn't seem to make the older boy feel any better and Hiccup giggled "I'm kidding; relax. He's like Toothless; his bark's worse than his bite."

Jack looked at the Great Dane on the floor beside him and cracked a smile when he looked back at her "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Damn right." Hiccup gently pushed Jack's shoulder "Let's get back to the twentieth century now, okay?"

"Yeah…" Jack slid closer to her, still glancing around the room. But they settled back into their study mode fairly quickly.

And Hiccup thought that was that. She and Jack would, for the most part, be undisturbed while they were working. Boy, was she wrong. She knew that her brother was going to make an attempt or two to "keep an eye on her" but she didn't expect what actually happened over the course of the afternoon.

Scott's first attempt seemed harmless enough. He wandered into the living room in his wife beater and gym shorts, lifting his dumbbells and counting the lifts as he walked around. He paced through the rooms on the first floor for a few minutes before he started to loiter around the couch. Then, he tried to make conversation any way he could, probably just to spite their poor house guest.

"So, Jack…" Scott started with a grunt "how much you bench?" When Jack made a face of confusion, he sighed "How much do you lift?"

"Uh… I dunno…" Jack replied plainly "I don't really lift weights."

"Really?" Scott questioned "Weak. These right here," he stepped closer to Jack and held one of his weights in front of him "They're forty pounds each. Moving up to fifty pretty soon." He stepped back and let his arms hang at his sides before he started again "Keep that in mind, Jack."

Then he walked out, probably back to the garage, and the pair didn't hear from him for a little while. But just as Hiccup thought her brother had had his fun messing with Jack, he came back carrying a plastic bag and explained he was "cleaning up from his party last night," which Hiccup knew was complete crap. She was the one that cleaned up most of it, after all.

Hiccup watched him for a minute before she asked "Scott, what are you doing?"

"Just cleaning the mantle; don't mind me."

"Ok, so now you care about cleanliness?" She snarked.

"Well, I mean, you did so great picking up in here, I'd hate for something else to get dirty in here." He pushed another soda can into the bag and looked back at the two teens who were trying to study. Scott gave Jack a look, to which Hiccup saw him tense out of the corner of her eye.

Hiccup groaned "We can't focus with you wandering around; can't you go somewhere else?"

"I will." He assured "Just once I'm done in here."

And Scott left the room, as promised, after the cans were off the mantle. Then, he climbed the stairs and most likely went up to his room. Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief at that. Maybe now they could actually get some more work done. It was clear at this point that Jack was nowhere near ready for this test of his and the constant interruptions weren't helping the cause at all. At the rate they were going, he'd need more than one study session to be able to pass.

It may have been weird to think but… Hiccup was hoping for that. She didn't want him to flunk, of course, but hanging out with Jack like this, alone, occasionally going off-topic about nothing in particular; it was an idea that was growing on her. Jack's presence was just becoming more welcome to her as they spent more time together. And… she kind of didn't want him to leave. So, she may or may not have "lost track of time" while they were going over notes and adding in facts Jack had previously left out.

What? He didn't have to go anywhere but home today; she could take up a little more of his time if she wanted. Jack sure wasn't complaining… at least, not about being with her. The studying was another story. The guy was like a giant five-year-old sometimes; wanting to take snack breaks every so often and insisting she reward him by playing video games later. Well, he could be worse. He could actually be five years old.

Besides the loud rock music blasting from Scott's bedroom, the duo remained uninterrupted for quite some time. Then Jack decided to call another break so that they could play video games. Damn, she should have hid the Wii… but whatever; they'd been at it for a few hours. Hiccup guessed that they could use a bit of fun after burying their faces in books. So, she turned on the game system and started sifting through the stack of games that were stuffed in the compartment in the ottoman.

Her search was called short when Jack exclaimed "You have Mario Kart too?"

Hiccup turned to him wide-eyed "Yeah… why, you like that game?"

"You kidding?" He asked excitedly "I love these games!" Then, he smirked "You any good?"

"Am I any good?" The brunette chuckled back "Scott and I have been competing against each other for the top spot for years."

"Who's on top right now?"

"Me." Hiccup stated proudly "Kicked his ass on Rainbow Road last time we played."

Jack laughed "That's just cold; only Satan would choose Rainbow Road in multi-player."

Braced teeth flashed in a smile "Guilty as charged." Hiccup reached into the ottoman again and pulled out a second controller "Do you use the steering wheel of the joystick? Those are all we got."

"Joystick." The white-haired boy answered "Who uses the steering wheel mode?"

Hiccup handed him the joystick "Well," she grabbed the remote off the top of the console "I do."

"…Oh…"

And then they spent an unknown amount of time sitting beside each other on the floor, their eyes never leaving the screen as they raced through track after track. Hiccup had to admit that Jack as Yoshi was pretty good competition; but he was still at pretty good odds with her as Drybones. Not to mention, she was pretty good at drifting around the corners and gaining speed boosts in the process. After four competitions, they were at a tie and Hiccup finally got Jack back to studying.

But she only remember what time it was when she heard the front door open and close, along with the loud footsteps the resonated in the landing.

"Scott, Henrika!" Her father called out "I'm home! Your mother'll be working late tonight; so what do you say we-" he entered the living room and say Hiccup and Jack "… go out for dinner…" He looked from his daughter to the stranger "Henrika… who's this?"

Fear.

That is the only way that Jack could describe what he felt when he saw Hiccup's behemoth of a father come walking into the room and have his dark green eyes settle on him, tracing his every move and occasionally flicking to the brunette beside him.

Jack gulped as he looked over the man towering above him; a short-sleeved shirt exposing massive arms and shorts showing off legs in the same condition were all that he was dressed in, besides his sneakers. Short, fiery red hair traced his face and flowed into a mustache and unkempt beard that almost completely hid the man's mouth. It contrasted his eyes and made them stand out even more; and Jack could feel the rays emitting from Mr. Haddock's stern face as he fumbled to say anything.

God, wasn't her monster of a brother enough to deal with? At the rate this was going, Jack wouldn't be surprised if her mother was just as big as the rest of her family.

"Uh, Dad, this is Jack. He's a new friend." Hiccup explained "He wanted help with history, so we planned a study session."

Mr. Haddock nodded "I see. Nice to meet you, Jack."

He held out a meaty hand and his house guest cautiously took it "You too…"

The handshake that followed was one that Jack would swear was aiming for tearing his arm off, judging by the amount of force put behind it. He tried to not wince as Hiccup's father released him, his arm flopping on the couch and refusing to move for a few seconds.

Yep. Jack thought This guy's trying to kill me.

The red headed man looked at the TV screen "And you're also studying video games?"

"That was us taking a break." Hiccup answered "Jack's great competition; it sure was different than playing against Scott."

More footsteps rang out and Scott dashed down the stairs excitedly "I heard we're going out for dinner?"

"Yes." Mr. Haddock replied "Your mother won't be home until late tonight and I don't feel like cooking." He looked at Hiccup "And you don't look like you want to either."

"Not really, no." Hiccup admitted.

"So any ideas where we're going?" Scott questioned "'Cause I'm in the mood for that buffet near the movie theater."

"I don't care." Hiccup shrugged "Dad, your call."

"I could go for some of their roast." He mused "Okay, dinner's settled. Was Jack planning on staying?"

"Uh…" She glanced at Jack, looking for an answer.

"Actually, uh…" The older teen started "I was thinking about heading out soon anyway, so… thank you, but no."

"Alright then." Mr. Haddock affirmed "Good to meet you, Jack." He started for the stairs "Just let me get out of my work clothes and we'll go."

"I should probably do the same." Scott added as he followed his father to the second floor. Yes, the guy was still wearing his wife-beater and shorts.

"Work clothes?" The white-haired boy questioned.

"He's a personal trainer." Hiccup explained "I'm actually surprised he's home now; his hours are all over the place."

Jack nodded.

"You don't have to go." She continued "My parents don't mind dragging friends along or anything."

"Yeah, I just…" Jack started to collect his things and shove them into his bag "I don't want to impose or… anything; I've been here long enough already."

"Okay…" The brunette agreed "So I'll see you later, then?"

"Definitely." He claimed as he zipped his bag shut "I'll text you later too, if you want."

"Sure." She smiled "I think we need to set up another day to study, anyway. You're worse at history than I thought."

Jack chuckled "I'm hopeless at the subject."

"I doubt that." She stood and followed him to the front door, gripping Toothless' collar when he came after them "Bye."

"Bye."

Jack shut the door behind him so that the dog wouldn't get out… and then bolted into his car in record time and decided that Eli was gonna get an earful about his brilliant plan when he got home.